Oil well pump rod cleaner



P 3, 1940- c. STUART ET m. 2,213,923

' on. WELL PUMP non CLEANER Filed Aug. 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- awe/mmSLzzou'L Darryl flange 'GordczzLMNeiIl Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITEDSTATES 2,213,923 on. WELL PUMP non CLEANER Clyde Stuart, Perry L. Lange,and Gordon M. Neill, Brownwood, Tex.

Application August 22, 1939, Serial No. 291,418

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved oil well pump rod cleaner.

As is well known, the pump rods of oil wells become coated withparafllne as well as other de- I posits and as said rods are coveredwith oil, upon being withdrawn, it often proves not only a difficultundertaking but also an-extremely greasy task to disconnect the sectionsof a rod from each other and dismantle the rod.

10 The present invention therefore seeks to provide a cleaner which willembody a compact and simply arranged mechanism through the medium ofwhich a pump rod will be automatically cleaned as it is withdrawn from awell.

15 A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaner embodyingresilient scraping elements mounted to substantially encircle the pumprod and tensioned to scarify, loosen and scrape paraffine and otherdeposits from the rod.

- 20 still another object of the invention is to provide a cleanerembodying an elastic wiper stretched to grip about the rod at a levelabove the scraping elements and adapted, as the rod is drawn upwardly,to shear the oil as well as any 25 remaining flakes of parafllne orother loosened deposits from the rod for thus effectually cleaning therod.

And the invention seeks, as a'still further object, to provide a cleanerwhich will be of simple 80 construction, which may be inexpensivelymanufactured, which may be conveniently mounted about a pump rod andattached to the tubing of a well, and which will be entirely efficientin operation.

35 Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during thecourse of the following description and in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing our improved cleaner attached toa well tubing about a 40 conventional pump rod.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Figure 1 and showingthe mannerin which the scraping elements employed encircle the pump rod.

45 Figure 3 is an elevation showing the sections of the casing of thecleaner. in open position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In carrying the invention into effect, we em- 50 ploy a cylindricalcasing which is formed of companion, mating sections l and ii, thecasing being split longitudinally in a plane coincident with the axisthereof. Near its extremities, the casing is contracted to provide upperand lower coni- 55 cal ends [2 and 13 respectively, both of which areopen, and formed on the lower end i3 is a nipple I4 while within saidend of the casing is provided a short co-axial standpipe i rising fromthe upper end of the nipple 14 but of somewhat less diameter. The matinghalves of the nipple 5 l4 and standpipe l5 are, of course, carried bythe respective sections In and I I of the casing and, as will now beperceived, the standpipe defines a pocket 16 within the lower end 13 ofthe casing. Communicating with the lower end of said pocket are spacedoutlets l1, preferably two-in each section of the casing. V

Formed on the casing sections 10 and II at their rear edges are mediallydisposed mating hinge straps l8 connected by a suitable hinge pin andformed on said sections at their forward edges are mating hand lugs l9disposed opposite said straps. Fixed to one of these lugs, as seen inFigure 2 of the drawings, is a stud 20 removably received through asuitable opening in the go other of said lugs and cooperating with thehinge pin to normally support the casing sections in registeringrelation.

Welded or otherwise fixed within the section l0 near the level of thelower edges of the hinge g5 straps i8 is a semicircular bracket 2ireduced in thickness at its forward end portion to provide an arm 22projecting beyond the forward edge of said section in conformity withthe are of the section. Suitably fixed within the casing section 3 llnear the rear edge thereof is a radial post 23 disposed on a level withthe arm 22 and extend ing between said arm and post is a spring 24. Moreor less closely above, the level of the bracket 2 I, the casing sectionI I is equipped with an identical bracket 25 having a curved arm 26projecting beyond the forward edge of said section and suit ably fixedwithin the casing section l0 near its rear edge is a post 21 like thepost 23 and disposed on a level with said arm. Extendingbetween the arm26 and the post 21 is a spring 28 like the spring 24. These two springsprovide scraping elements as shall presently be explained.

Formed within the upper end l2 of the cleaner casing is a pair of spacedparallel annular flanges 29 and mounted bysaid flanges is an invertedconical elastic wiper 30 of rubber. At its upper larger end, the wiperis formed with a radial flange 3| firmly gripped by the flanges 28there- II and this is also true of the wiper SI, the wiper 5 beingformed of like semi-conical sections adapted to mate when the cleanercasing is closed.

vIn'Figure 1 of the drawings, we have conventionally shown the upper endof a well tubing at collar 35 may then be screwed on the nipple H forlocking the sections closed when said collar may be screwed over thewell tubing 33.

As will be perceived, the springs 24 and 23 will, as the casing sectionsare closed, be flexed about the pump rod 34 to assume the position shownin Figure 2 of the drawings, each stretched about the rod insubstantially U-shape. The portions of the springs engaging the rod willthus, combined, practically encircle the rod while the sections of thewiper 30 will be brought together about the rod so that the small end ofsaid wiper will be distended more or less by the rod. The rod will,however, be freely received through the standpipe 15.

It will now be seen that as the pump rod 34 is drawn upwardly, thosecoils of the springs 24 and 28 in contact with the rod will be tensionedthereagainst to scarify, loosen and scrape parafline and other depositsfrom the rod to fall into the pocket l6. At the same time, the wiper 30will function, at a point above the springs, to shear oil as well as anyremaining flakes of parafflne or other loosened deposits from the rod tocollect Within said pocket. The rod will thus be automatically andeffectually cleaned as it is withdrawn from the well. The standpipe l5will, of course, prevent the scrapings and oil in the pocket l5 fromgaining entrance to the well tubing 33 while the openings I! will serveto drain the pocket. As will be understood, the upper end of the casingwill provide a landing or rest for the usual lifting tool or elevatorfor the pump rod.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed ofcompanion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to awell tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, and ascraping spring connected at its ends with the casing sections and whensaid sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed about therod for scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing.

2. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed ofcompanion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to awell tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, and ascraping spring connected at its ends with the casing sections and whenthe sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed tosubstantially U-shape about the rod for scraping said rod as it iswithdrawn from the well tubing.

3. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including 2.

casing formed of companion sections adapted for attachment in closedmating relation to a well tubing to surround a pump rod projecting fromsaid tubing, and superposed scraping springs connected at their endswith the casing sections and when the sections are closed supportedthereby in position flexed to substantially u-shape about oppositeportions of the surface of the rod for scraping said rod as it iswithdrawn from the well tubing.

4. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed ofcompanion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to awell tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, abracket fixed to one of said sections and provided with an armprojecting beyond the forward edge of said section, a post fixed to theother of said sections near the rear edge thereof, and a scraping springextending between said arm and post and when the sections are closedsupported thereby in position flexed about the rod for scraping said rodas it is withdrawn from the well tubing.

-5. A pump-rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed ofcompanion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to awell tubing. to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing.brackets fixed to the sections and provided with arms projecting beyondthe forward edges of said sections, posts fixed to the sections near therear edges thereof, and scraping springs extending between said arms andposts and when the sections are closed supported thereby in positionflexed to substantially U-shape about the rod for scraping said rod asit is withdrawn from the well tubing.

6. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed ofcompanion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to awell tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing andprovided at its lower end with a standpipe to receive the rodtherethrough, said pipe defining a chamber at the lower portion of thecasing and the casing being formed with a drain opening for saidchamber, and a scraping spring connected with the casing sections andwhen the sections are closed supported thereby in position flexed aboutthe rod for scraping deposits from the rod to fall into said chamber asthe rod is withdrawn from the well tubing.

7. A pump rod cleaner for oil wells including a casing formed ofcompanion sections adapted for attachment in closed mating relation to awell tubing to surround a pump rod projecting from said tubing, ascraping spring connected with the casing sections and when saidsections are closed supported thereby in position flexed about the rodfor scraping said rod as it is withdrawn from the well tubing, and aconical elastic wiper provided at its larger end with a flange securedto the casing sections and supporting the wiper to depend within thecasing, portions of the wiper being carried by the casing sections andwhen said sections are closed mating about the rod at a point above saidscraping element for shearing oil from the rod as the rod is withdrawn.

CLYDE STUART.

PERRY L. LANGE.

GORDON M. NEILL.

